My sister's rat got sick last week. She wasn't eating, had no energy, and her fur was a bit patchy and ungroomed. I looked and it looked to me like there was something wrong with her teeth. She went to the vet (Hopital Vétérinaire pour Oiseaux et Animaux Exotiques on Sherbrook in Montreal) and they told her that her teeth are fine, but she has a respiratory infection. They put her on Baytril(.1cc) and Doxy(.2cc).
A week later and I finally have news(from my father, no my sister!!! grrr!). Her rat is not doing well... She has stopped eating and drinking on her own and he has been feeding her and getting water into her with a syringe. I checked how much and he hasn't been giving her enough water. The other rats(2 younger) apparently attacked her and were biting her ears and cheeks, as evidenced by scabbed over scratches. They might have been self-inflicted, I don't know. I went over there and this is what I found:
She hasn't been grooming herself, and she is separated from the other rats.
She had caked porphyrin in the fur around her eyes.
Her back legs are pointed forwards(straight from the hips), not bent like normal. They tend to go to a crossed position, and she does not move them on her own.
I tried to find some nutri-cal but couldn't find anyone selling nearby, so I picked up some Excel kitten vitamin paste.
I got some water into her(3ml and then another 3ml 20-30 minutes later) and I mixed 40% Liberty Creme Fraiche(like sour creme, but 40% fat) in a 4:1 ratio with the vitamins and got that mix into her as well.
After 2 batches of that, She made a couple of efforts to groom herself but gave up. She was also moving her head around a bit.
I gave her a bath and during the bath and the blow drying she moved her hind legs on her own and I thought she would actually stand up, so I know her hind legs are still functional. Afterwards she went back to keeping them stiff, pointed forwards, and crossed.
She has lost a lot of weight, and there were no visible or tactile lumps, no lesions, no pain spots(or at least none she reacted to).
I checked her teeth and the top teeth are not bruxed evenly(the right tooth is bruxed at an angle with the point at the outside). The bottom teeth I wasn't able to determine as she wouldn't let me open her mouth enough.
Besides possible dehydration, malnutrition, and possible a malocclusion or other dental problem... What else could it be and what else should I be doing? We are going to find another vet to take her to and try and take her there tomorrow, but other than that? Or anything I should make a note to talk to the vet about?
P.S. Yes, I know doxy and dairy are contra-indicated. I went and tracked it down, and it is just a reduction in efficiency if you take the doxy at the same time as the dairy. I made sure they would not be giving them the dairy mix or the probiotics that I picked up at the same time as the doxy.
A week later and I finally have news(from my father, no my sister!!! grrr!). Her rat is not doing well... She has stopped eating and drinking on her own and he has been feeding her and getting water into her with a syringe. I checked how much and he hasn't been giving her enough water. The other rats(2 younger) apparently attacked her and were biting her ears and cheeks, as evidenced by scabbed over scratches. They might have been self-inflicted, I don't know. I went over there and this is what I found:
She hasn't been grooming herself, and she is separated from the other rats.
She had caked porphyrin in the fur around her eyes.
Her back legs are pointed forwards(straight from the hips), not bent like normal. They tend to go to a crossed position, and she does not move them on her own.
I tried to find some nutri-cal but couldn't find anyone selling nearby, so I picked up some Excel kitten vitamin paste.
I got some water into her(3ml and then another 3ml 20-30 minutes later) and I mixed 40% Liberty Creme Fraiche(like sour creme, but 40% fat) in a 4:1 ratio with the vitamins and got that mix into her as well.
After 2 batches of that, She made a couple of efforts to groom herself but gave up. She was also moving her head around a bit.
I gave her a bath and during the bath and the blow drying she moved her hind legs on her own and I thought she would actually stand up, so I know her hind legs are still functional. Afterwards she went back to keeping them stiff, pointed forwards, and crossed.
She has lost a lot of weight, and there were no visible or tactile lumps, no lesions, no pain spots(or at least none she reacted to).
I checked her teeth and the top teeth are not bruxed evenly(the right tooth is bruxed at an angle with the point at the outside). The bottom teeth I wasn't able to determine as she wouldn't let me open her mouth enough.
Besides possible dehydration, malnutrition, and possible a malocclusion or other dental problem... What else could it be and what else should I be doing? We are going to find another vet to take her to and try and take her there tomorrow, but other than that? Or anything I should make a note to talk to the vet about?
P.S. Yes, I know doxy and dairy are contra-indicated. I went and tracked it down, and it is just a reduction in efficiency if you take the doxy at the same time as the dairy. I made sure they would not be giving them the dairy mix or the probiotics that I picked up at the same time as the doxy.
